Ambiance is current dormakaba software, but it is named in the 2024 Unsaflok and 2025 Saflok advisories. The real question is whether your fleet has actually been remediated.
Replace dormakaba Ambiance locks in Chicago.
RevKey is a Certified Salto Partner and veteran-owned business that plans and installs Salto for dormakaba Ambiance properties in Chicago, migrating you off dormakaba Ambiance floor by floor without pulling rooms out of inventory.
Chicago Ambiance operators most often weigh Salto when the Unsaflok disclosure pulls their Saflok and Ambiance estate into scope, since the named management systems face a remediation that means firmware or hardware changes plus reissuing every keycard and upgrading encoders. On multi-tower properties that work has to thread McCormick Place convention windows and union install crews, so phasing it once is far cheaper than patching now and re-platforming later. A campus carrying 2,929 on-site rooms through a 2027 renovation is a natural moment to consolidate onto one Salto stack rather than maintain a patched legacy system. None of this implies Ambiance is obsolete; it's current-generation, and the choice is simply where a touched-anyway estate lands.
- McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America with about 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, anchoring a citywide-event calendar that drives the occupancy windows installs must phase around.
- The McCormick Place campus holds about 2,929 on-site hotel rooms connected by enclosed sky bridges, including the 1,258-room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place undergoing a phased tower renovation through 2027.
Sources: Wikipedia, Choose Chicago, Unsaflok
What we plan for in Chicago
The McCormick Place and Loop convention calendar drives near-full occupancy in peak weeks, which compresses the windows available for floor-by-floor cutover. RevKey schedules migration around the property's booking pace and works the building in phases so no floor is taken fully offline. We target lower-demand weeks for the heaviest cutover blocks and keep guest-facing doors operational throughout.
Chicago hospitality runs heavy on multi-tower urban properties in the 300 to 700 key range, where stacked towers, shared cores, and convention-adjacent function space make phasing as involved as it is in Las Vegas. RevKey maps each tower, elevator bank, and amenity zone into an ordered migration plan so wiring, access groups, and guest flow stay coherent across the property. We commission tower by tower so each block is fully live and verified before the next begins.
The dormakaba Ambiance migration, in brief
Ambiance is dormakaba's current access-management platform running Saflok locks. It is named in both the 2024 Unsaflok and the May 2025 Saflok Codebase advisories. Manufacturer-recommended action: confirm remediation, or switch platforms.
Fits most Ambiance door prep on retrofit; the Wide Body trim covers existing cutouts. Full credential stack and brand mobile-key support.
Full dormakaba Ambiance playbook: every Salto option, door prep, and timeline ranges →
How a Chicago project runs
The same disciplined sequence on every property, scaled to your door count.
Site assessment and door-by-door survey
We walk the property (or review your survey worksheet), confirm door prep and brand requirements, and identify what each opening needs. No guesswork before the quote.
Scope and migration plan
A real scoped quote: hardware, credential plan, PMS integration, and a phased schedule built around your occupancy, not a placeholder estimate.
Phased install
Floor-by-floor cutover coordinated with housekeeping, so rooms stay sellable. No property-wide shutdown.
PMS and mobile-key validation
PMS integration and brand mobile keys configured and tested before guests touch them, so the front desk is live on day one.
Train and support
Front-desk training and a fixed post-install support window so the team is confident before we hand off.
Common questions about dormakaba Ambiance migrations in Chicago
Ambiance is current-generation. Why would I move to Salto?
You may not need to. Ambiance is current and supported, so this is not about end-of-life. It is, though, named in the 2024 Unsaflok and May 2025 Saflok advisories, so the first question is whether your locks, cards, and encoders are fully remediated. If they are and your support is good, staying is a reasonable call. Operators move to Salto when they are consolidating several properties on one stack, when a brand is pushing Salto-specific certifications, when the dealer relationship has not worked, or when they would rather land on a modern platform while every door is already open to remediate.
Can Salto reuse my existing Ambiance door prep?
On most installs, yes. Salto XS4 One is ANSI mortise compatible with Ambiance door prep, so the swap stays at the door. We confirm prep type door by door during scoping.
What does consolidating multiple properties on Salto get me?
One credential platform, one set of integrations, and one accountable installer across the portfolio, instead of a different stack and dealer per property. For multi-property owners standardizing operations, that consolidation is usually the main driver.
Do I have to convert every door at once?
No. We install door by door during normal operating hours, typically thirty to forty doors per day, with a first-door sign-off before mass install. Larger properties run phased over weeks against your access windows.
Will Salto meet my brand mobile-key standard?
Yes. Salto installs to brand mobile-key spec and integrates directly with the major hotel PMS platforms. We validate brand compliance as part of the install.
How long does a Salto migration take for a large Chicago convention hotel?
For a multi-tower property in the 300 to 700 key band, plan on a phased rollout measured in weeks rather than days, with the exact range driven by tower count, door conditions, and the convention calendar. We work floor by floor and tower by tower so no floor is ever fully closed, and we time the heaviest cutover blocks for lower-occupancy weeks. You get a firm phase schedule before mobilization.
Next step: scope your Chicago migration
Tell us about your Chicago property currently running dormakaba Ambiance hardware. We respond within four business hours with a real, phased migration scope.